Name ____________________________ Date_____________ Period ___________
Our Amendments at Work
Below are “living” examples of constitutional amendments at work. There is one situation that
describes each of our 26 amendments so you’ll have just enough to go around. Your task is to read
each paragraph and then decide which constitutional amendment is at work. Place the number of
that amendment in the blank space provided.
1. ________ Rasmusson is a legitimate, qualified law officer. He comes to the home of
Johnson and demands entry into his house. Disregarding whether or not Johnson has
something inside to hide, he tells Rasmusson to “Buzz off! You don’t even have a search
warrant.” Which constitutional amendment allows Johnson this protection?
2. ________ Bradford Longhurst has the right to plan his family vacation to any place he wants
to go. He wouldn’t necessarily have this right in certain other countries of the world. Where
in the Constitution does it say that Bradford has this right?
3. ________Any black or member of any other minority who qualifies properly can vote in the
USA because of this amendment. Which one is it?
4. ________ If either of the two U.S. senators from Ohio should become incapable of
performing his duties, then it would be up to the governor of Ohio to either find someone to
take the place of the senator who vacated his office, or he could call for a special election.
In which amendment is this provision?
5. ________ Women are now allowed to vote just as men. Such was not always the case. In
fact it took a constitutional amendment to win women the right to vote. This provision was
made in which of the amendments?
6. ________ If Officer Hanson arrests Jackson for speeding and Jackson claims he is
innocent; it then becomes Hanson’s word against Jackson’s (since Hanson was on his way home
from work and did not have his radar gun). Jackson really believes he is innocent, but he
figures the judge will probably believe Jackson because he is “on the side of the law.” The
penalty will be Jackson’s third within a year; and as a result, he will lose his license for six
months if he is found guilty. He does believe, however, that the judgment of twelve good
people will decide in his favor; therefore, he demands a jury trial. Where in the Constitution
is Jackson guaranteed this right?
7. ________“I can say what I want, write what I want, worship as I please, call together a
group of my friends to criticize the government; and I am also allowed to petition the proper
authorities if I so desire.” These rights that belong to us all are provided for in which of the
amendments?
8. ________ Donahue and McMillan are at odds over the location of the boundary line dividing
their properties. The area in question dates back to a mistake made when the land was
originally surveyed and amounts to just under one-half acre altogether. Since the two can’t
agree on a settlement, they’ve decided to put the matter before a jury in a court of law.
This they can do because of which constitutional amendment?
1
9. ________In the election of 1800, history made it quite clear that the framers of the
Constitution had made a mistake in having the Vice-President become the man who had the
second highest number of votes for President. That was all changed in 1804 by what
amendment?
10. ________This amendment had the effect of canceling the “three-fifths clause” (Article 1,
Section 7, clause 3), which counted only three-fifths of the slaves for purposes of
determining representation in Congress and taxation.
11. ________Nate Williams is a poor black man who lives in the state of Louisiana. A few years
back Nate was not allowed to vote in state and local elections because he could not pay his
poll tax. He couldn’t afford to buy his right to vote because he considered food and shelter
more important. He could, however vote in national elections because of an amendment in the
Constitution that forbids the use of a poll tax in national elections. Which one?
12. ________Ronald Reagan became the nation’s 40th President on Tuesday, January 20, 1981, at
12:00 noon EST. He was sworn into office by Chief Justice Warren Burger. Under the
original Constitution, he would have had to wait until March 4 to take over as President. This
lame duck amendment came to us through the ratification of which of our constitutional
amendments?
13. ________Gallagher was suspected and finally arrested for the murder of Silas McGee.
There were no eyewitnesses to the shooting. Gallagher did have a motive, but he also has a
fairly legitimate alibi that will explain his whereabouts at the time of the shooting. He tells
his friend Herman Philpot that he isn’t “really worried. There isn’t enough evidence to even
bring me to trial.” He is right. The Grand Jury fails to find enough evidence against
Gallagher to even bring him to trial, and he is released under a “no true bill” statement. This
same right given to Gallagher is ensured to all of us because of which constitutional
amendment?
14. ________Henry Knott keeps a gun in his closet. Henry tells all of his friends that he keeps
it there ….not because he likes to hunt…..but rather to “defend himself against anyone who
would try to rob him.” We all know that Henry could get himself into a whole lot of trouble if
he uses that gun without caution. But on the other hand, we recognize Henry’s right to keep
the weapon to defend himself and that which is rightfully his. This right is one shared by all
as a result of which of the constitutional amendments?
15. ________As long as we enjoy domestic peace, we do not have to let soldiers live in our homes
if we don’t want them there. This privilege from being forced to quarter soldiers in our
homes is all a part of which constitutional amendment?
16. ________The power of Congress to levy a tax against the incomes of those who work in
order to pay for services of the federal government is clearly pointed out to us all in which
amendment?
17. ________Which of the amendments gives eighteen-year-olds the right to vote, a right that
was formerly reserved for only those twenty-one years of age and older?
18. ________The citizens of Washington, D.C. are now allowed to vote for their President, too.
This right had been denied them before because only states were given electors, and the city
of Washington, D.C. does not lie within the boundaries of any state. Which amendment
changed all this to allow the citizens of our nation’s capital the right to vote in presidential
elections?
2
19. ________Arnold Gross, formerly of Athens, Georgia, now living in Jackson, Mississippi,
lodges a protest against the state of Georgia because he feels his business was unfairly
taxed when he lived in Georgia. He even attempts to file a formal lawsuit against the state
of Georgia. We all know that if the state of Georgia refused to be sued by Mr. Gross, then
poor Arnold is just out of luck because there is no place for the case to be heard. The plain
fact of the matter is that the federal courts will not hear cases involving citizens of one
state against another state. This is clearly pointed out in which of the constitutional
amendments?
20. ________Former President Nixon was elected twice by the people. Even though he resigned
before his second term was finished, he could NOT have been elected to serve another term.
Which of the constitutional amendments forbids a President from being elected to more than
two terms of office?
21. ________The right of Americans to consume alcoholic beverages was taken away from them
in 1919 by a constitutional amendment. However, because of public protest and because it
was so very difficult to enforce, the amendment was later repealed. Which amendment
attempted to stop Americans from drinking?
22. ________We all know that it is now legal to consume alcoholic beverages so long as that
person doing the drinking has satisfied the minimum age requirements. This right came to us
only after the ratification of this amendment. It had the effect of undoing what an earlier
amendment had done by banning the sale or consumption of liquor.
23. ________A historical incident occurred not too long ago when Nelson Rockefeller was
nominated by former President Ford and then confirmed as Vice-President by Congress. This
action become necessary when former President Nixon resigned, thus leaving Vice-President
Ford to succeed him as President. Vice-President Ford became Vice-President when he was
appointed by President Nixon to fill the vacancy that had been created by the resignation of
Spiro Agnew. There has since been a provision made so that in the future there will always
be a Vice-President. This provision became a reality because of which amendment?
24. ________Clyde Billingsly is arrested for knocking down poor old Mrs. Finch (age 76) and then
stealing her purse which contained $4.10. At the police station Clyde is treated rather
harshly by the officers in charge and is bodily “thrown” into a cell. He overhears the
arresting officer say that they are going to “throw the book” at him for doing such a lowly
thing to such a nice little old lady. Clyde knows that he is a rascal, but he also chuckles at the
comment because he knows that his penalty cannot be too harsh for committing such a minor
offense as “purse snatching”. Which amendment makes Clyde so certain?
25. _______It became illegal for one man to hold another as a slave as a result of which
constitutional amendment?
26. ________The paragraph ensuring that all powers not delegated to the federal government
are indeed “reserved for either the states or the people” is found in which constitutional
amendment?
3